Elastic cirdle



June 6, 19.33. I E, B. SMITH 1,912,564

ELASTIC GIRDLE Filed July 14, 1950 Patented June 6, 1933 EUDA B. SMITH, on

PATENT OFFICE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ELASTIC GIRDLE Application filed July 14,

j The inventionrelates generally to elastic girdles which operate as abdominal supports and are designed principally for use by women in connection with different forms of exercise such, for examplaas dancing, walking and climbing. More particularlythe invention relates to that type of girdle which operates during use to prevent rupture and strain of the abdominal regions and comprises a continuous comparatively broad band of elastic fabric which is adapted to surround thewearers hips and lower abdominal parts, and is designed to extend between the waist and the upper portions of the thighs and to encaseall except the extreme lower part of the buttocks so that the legs are entirely free and sidewisemovement thereof is not restricted or impaired in any manner. a In, girdles of this type, ithas heretofore been customary for the manufacturer to provide a singlecrotch strap between the front and rear lower marginal parts of the elastic band for the purpose of holding the girdle in place and preventing the band from'working upwards above the wearers waist. WVhereas a single crotch strap functions in the desired manner and serves its purpose, as

far as retaining the girdle in place is con- V corned, it has been found in practice that the 0 wearer or user of the girdle suffers discomfiture and, in some instances, pain and abrasion of the skin, for the reason that the crotch strap tends to bind and grips tightly and in an exceedingly uncomfortable manner the fleshy parts against which it fits.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an elastic girdle of the aforementioned type which is extremely comfortable to thewearer during use and is an im provement upon previously designed girdles -for the same purpose and of similar construction by virtue of the fact that the instrumentality or mediuinfor retaining the girdle in place consists of a pair of elastic crotch strains which are so arranged and connected to the band that they it against the inner or opposed parts of the wearers thighs and do'not hind or abrade or injure the crotch and associated parts.

- Another objectof the invention is to pro- 1930, Serial No. 467,689.

vide a girdle of the character here underconsideration in which the front ends of the two crotch straps are connected in a novel manner to the front portion of the elastic band and are held in spaced relation so as to prevent the straps from binding or injuring the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elastic girdle which may be advantageously used by dancers, is generally of new and improved construction, and comprehends a construction whichpermits it to be produced or fabricated at a low and reasonable cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics .of the present girdle construction will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the followingdetailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter setforth and are more'particularly defined by the claims at the conclusion hereof. p

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specificationor disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a rear view of an elasticgirdle embodying the invention, showing the po sition and arrangement of the rear ends of the crotch straps;

Figure 2 is a perspective; and a Figure 3 is a detail view illustrating the manner in which the front ends of the crotch strapsare connected in spaced relation to the front lower marginal part of theband.

The girdle which forms thesubject matter of the invention operates as an abdominal support andis designed for use by women in connection with exercise, such as dancing. It serves to prevent rupture or strain of the users lower abdominal regions and comprises a" continuous comparatively broad band 4 of elastic fabric. This band is designed to surround the wearers hips, buttocks, and lower abdominal parts, as indiv cated inFigure 1 of the drawing, and is capable of being stretched sidewise so thatit may 10" be readily pulled into place as hereinafter described. The upper margin 5 of the band is adapted to encircle the wearers waist and is stitched, as at 6 for reinforcing purposes. The front portion 7 of the band is adapted to fit against the lower abdominal parts and operates as a supporting or binding medium for preventing rupture, strain or injury. The back portion 8 of the band is adapted to fit against the lower part of the wearers hack and serves to cover the buttocks, with the exception of the extreme lower parts. The side portions 9 and 10 of the band join together the front and back portions 7 and 8 and are adapted to fit against the hips of the wearer. The lower margin 11 of the band is stitched, as at 12, and yields sufficiently to permit the wearer to have complete freedom of move ment with respect to her legs and hip joints. The bandd is preferably flared downwardly, so that it adapts itself more'readily to the contour or shape of the wearers hip portions and tends when in use to resist downward movement. Tn addition to the elastic hand a, the girdle comprises an inelastic front member 13. This member cooperates with the front portion 8 of the band to prevent rupture, strain or injury to the lower abdominal parts of the wearer of the girdle. It is' co-e'xtensive with the hand, as far as height is concerned, and has the upper and side edges thereof stitched to the band, as at 14, so that it is permanently connected in place. The lower margin of the front member 13 is extended at the central portion thereof to form a tongue 15. The latter is folded inwardly and upwardly into overlapped relation with the inner face of the front portion 7 of the hand and forms adjacent the, front lower marginal part of said handan elongated pocket 16 which extends horizontally and has open ends. The distal end of the tongue is stitched, as at 17 to the front portion 7, so that it serves or operates to hold the tongue in place. -The elastic band 4 is held in place and prevented from working upwardly above the wearers waist by means of a pair of crotch straps 18 and 19. These straps are preferably formed of elastic fabric and extend between the front and rear lower marginal parts of the band, as illustrated in Figure 2. The front ends of the straps extend through the ends of and into the elongated pocket 16 and are joined together in any suitable manner or are formed integrally with one another. The parts of the tongue 15 that form the ends of the pocket 16 serve to hold the front ends of the straps 18 and 19 in spaced relation and are sewed, as at 20, to the straps so that the latter are securely anchored in place and cannot move through thepocket. The rear end of the crotch strap 18 is connected by stitching 21 to the lower margin of the hand between the central part of the back portion 8 and the side portion 9. The rear end of the crotch strap 19 is stitched, as at 22, to the lower margin of the elastic hand between the central partof the back portion 8 and the side portion 10. By connecting or stitching the rear ends of the crotch straps in this manner, the straps diverge rearwardly and form a more or less trapezoidal space 23 therehetween. As a result of this arrangement, and because the front ends of the straps are held in spaced relation by the tongue 15, the straps, when the girdle is in use, engage only the inner or opposed parts of the wearers thighs and leave the intermediate crotch parts free or unconfined so that there canhe no binding, chafing, or abrasion, and no discomliture is suffered by the wearer. The openings or spaces bet-ween the crotch straps and the side portions 9 and 10 accommodate the legs of the wearer of the girdle when the girdle is applied.

In applying the girdle, the wearer first. inserts her legs through the hand 4 and the spaces or openings between the crotch straps and the side portions 9 and 10. Thereafter the hand 4 is raised or shifted upwardly un til it is positioned in its operative position around the wearers hips and lower ahdominal region. In this position of the band, the buttocks, with the exception of the extreme lower parts, are encased or covered by the back portion 8. The girdle is held against movement above the wearers waist by the crotch straps 1.) and 20. These straps, as previously pointed out, are so connected or anchored to the lower margin of the band that they diverge rearwardly and engage the inner or opposed parts of the wearers thighs and leave the intermediate crotch parts free. The 'upper margin 5 of the band holds the girdle against downward movement.

The elastic girdle herein disclosed may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost by virtue of the fact that it consists of but a small number of parts and the crotch straps are connected in place in a simple manner. In view of the fact that two crotch straps are utilized as the retaining medium for the girdle, and these straps are arranged so that they are rearwardly divergent, the girdle is exceedingly comfortable, permits of complete freedom of movement. and eliminates the possibility of abrasion. chafing, or injury to the wearers crotch parts.

The invention is not to he understood as restricted to the details set forth, since they may be modified within the scope of the appended claims withoutdepartingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention. 7

Having thus described the invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure to Letters Patent, is: I

1. A girdle for use by women as an abdominal support, consisting of a continuous comparatively broad elastic band adapted to surround the wearers hips and lower abdominal regions and shaped to extend between the waist and the upper portions of the thighs and to encase all except the extreme lower parts of the buttocks, an inelastic rupture preventing member connected to the front portion of the band and having the lower part thereof terminating adjacent the lower margin of the band and doubled over to form an open-ended pocket, and means for holding the band in place during use and preventing it from working upwards above the waist, comprising a pair of crotch straps extending between the front and back portions of the band and having the front ends thereof extending into the ends of the pocket and connected to and spaced laterally apart by the doubled over part of the member that forms the pocket, the rear ends of the straps being connected to the lower margin of the band midway between the side portions of the band and the central part of the back portion, so that the straps diverge rearwardly and are adapted toengage the inner or opposed parts of the wearers thighs and leave the intermediate crotch parts free and unconfined in order to avoid binding, chafing, or abrasion thereof.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a girdle for use by women as an abdominal support and in connection with dancing and other forms of exercise consisting of a band of elastic material of uniform breadth adapted to surround the wearers hips and lower abdominal regions and shaped so that it is downwardly flared and extends between the waist and the upper portions of the thighs and encases all except the extreme lower parts of the buttocks, and a rupture-preventing member of inelastic fabric connected to the 49 front portion of the band and forming a part thereof and extending from the upper margin of the band to the lower margin, and embodying at the lower central portion thereof a comparatively wide extension projecting downwardly beneath the lower margin of the band and means for holding the band in place during use and preventing it from working upwards above the waist comprising a pair of elastic crotch straps extending between the front and back portions of the band and having the front ends thereof attached re spectively to the ends of the extension and held by the latter in spaced or separated relation and the rear ends connected to thelower margin of the band midway between the side portion of the band and the central part of the back so that the straps diverge rearwardly and are adapted to engage the inner or opposed parts of the wearers thighs and leave the intermediate crotch parts free and unconfined in order to avoid binding, chafing or abrasion thereof.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of July, 1930. 65 EUDA B. SMITH. 

